Arsenic in hydrological processes—Sources, speciation, bioavailability and management

doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.09.017

Journal of Hydrology

Volume 518, Part C, 10 October 2014, Pages 279-283

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.09.017 Get rights and content

Introduction

Arsenic (As) is both a geogenic and anthropogenic contaminant, which poses a significant threat to human life, health and social well-being. In a number of areas worldwide, including countries in Asia, North and Latin America, parts of Europe and Africa, exposure to As in concentrations above the World Health Organization provisional guide value (WHO, 2008, WHO, 2011) through consumption of As-enriched groundwater is having adverse impacts on human health (Bhattacharya et al., 1997, Bhattacharya et al., 2002a, Bhattacharya et al., 2007, Charlet et al., 2007, Smith et al., 2000, Smedley and Kinniburgh, 2002, Welch and Stollenwerk, 2003, Kapaj et al., 2006, Nriagu et al., 2007, Naidu et al., 2006a, Naidu and Bhattacharya, 2009, Polya and Charlet, 2009, Ravenscroft et al., 2009, Mukherjee et al., 2008, Mukherjee et al., 2011, Bundschuh et al., 2010, Bundschuh et al., 2013). The situation is particularly serious in south and southeast Asia, where a major environmental health disaster is occurring which places an estimated 90 million people at risk of cancer and other As-related diseases.

Arsenic is present in crustal rocks and sediments within a wide range of geological settings, over the span of geological time scale from Precambrian to Recent. The sediments derived from these sources are deposited in the sedimentary basins through hydrologic processes. Once introduced to hydrologic systems from natural sources, anthropogenic activities (mining) and geothermal sources, As may be mobilized by the pH, redox and microbiological characteristics of the hydrogeochemical environment (Mukherjee and Bhattacharya, 2001, Nordstrom, 2002, Bhattacharya et al., 2002a, Bhattacharya et al., 2007, Islam et al., 2004, Smedley and Kinniburgh, 2002, Welch and Stollenwerk, 2003, Ahmed et al., 2004, Mukherjee et al., 2008, Mukherjee et al., 2009, Mukherjee et al., 2012, Desbarats et al., 2014).

While As in drinking water has attracted most attention, a number of studies during the last decade have convincingly demonstrated that the food chain is also an important pathway for inorganic As exposure of both humans and livestock (Juhasz et al., 2006, Correll et al., 2006, Naidu et al., 2006b, Mondal and Polya, 2008, Mondal et al., 2010, Halder et al., 2012, Halder et al., 2013) and one that is associated with elevated cell damage in humans (Banerjee et al., 2013). Paddy rice is particularly efficient at bioaccumulating As, due to the anaerobic conditions in flooded paddy soils and plant physiological characteristics (Ma et al., 2008). This occurs widely, but is exacerbated in soil contaminated by As-laden irrigation water, mining or As-containing pesticides, (notably chromated copper arsenate (CCA) wood preservatives (Jacks and Bhattacharya, 1998, Bhattacharya et al., 2002b, Rastas Amofah et al., 2010). The transfer of As from the environment to the food chain is a subject of active research (see, for example, Meharg and Zhao, 2012 and references therein).

This Special Issue of Journal of Hydrology, “Arsenic in hydrological processes—sources, speciation, bioavailability and management” includes scientific contributions which offer “state of the art” knowledge about the sources and dynamics of As in hydrological processes, mechanisms of As transformation in the environment and in biota, the bioavailability of As, interactions between the biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem, and research on innovative strategies for environmental management of As. The results reported here will contribute meaningfully to the prevention or reduction of exposure to As and its toxic effects on millions of people throughout the world.

Section snippets

Layout of the special issue

This special issue includes 17 contributions which reflect a multi-disciplinary approach to the behavior of As in hydrogeologic processes. The articles are in four sections: (1) Groundwater As: role of tectonics, sedimentation and aqueous flow cycles; (2) Arsenic in global groundwater systems, hydrological control and modeling; (3) Arsenic speciation and triggers of mobility in diverse hydrological realms; and (4) Arsenic bioaccessibility and species transformation in the context of

Conclusion

These articles reflect the latest understanding of the occurrence and behaviors of As and the mechanisms of its mobilization in groundwater under various hydrogeologic settings. The topics range from geogenic global provenances to the extent and sources of local As elements in previously known and unknown areas, along with new strategies for As removal and management in the environment. We hope that discussion flowing from these articles will contribute to a better understanding of the global

Acknowledgements

This Special Issue would remain incomplete without expressing our sincere and deep sense of gratitude to a number of organizations. We acknowledge the cooperation of KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Indian Institute of Technology IIT-Kharagpur, The University of Manchester, UK, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) – Department of Global Programs for the research project within the framework of the Sustainable Arsenic Mitigation – SASMIT (Sida Contribution 73000854)

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Banerjee, M., Banerjee, N., Bhattacharjee, P., Mondal, D., Lythgoe, P.R., Martinez, M., Pan, J., Polya, D.A., Giri,...

Cited by (11)

Comparison of antimony and arsenic behaviour at the river-lake junction in the middle of the Yangtze River Basin
2024, Journal of Environmental Sciences (China)
As typical metalloid toxic elements widely distributed in environmental media, the geochemical behaviour of antimony (Sb) and arsenic (As) affects environmental safety. We selected the surface waters and sediments at the river-lake junction of Dongting Lake as the research objects, analysed the concentration and chemical partitioning of Sb and As, assessed its contamination and ecological risk levels, and discussed its sources and potential influencing factors. The concentrations of dissolved Sb and As in surface waters were low (< 5.46 µg/L), and the concentrations of Sb and As in surface sediments were 2.49-22.65 mg/kg and 11.10-136.34 mg/kg, respectively. Antimony and As in sediments were mainly enriched in the fraction of residues, but the proportion of As in bioavailability was significantly higher than that of Sb. Although the contamination level of Sb was higher than that of As, the risk assessment code (RAC) showed that the ecological risk level of As was higher than that of Sb. Rainwater erosion and mining activities (in the midstream of Zijiang River) were the main contaminated sources of Sb, while As was affect mainly by rainwater erosion. The contamination and ecological risk of Sb in the inlet of the Zijiang River should receive considerable attention, while those of As in the inlet of the Xiangjiang River should also be seriously considered. This study highlights the need for multi-index-based assessments of contamination and ecological risk and the importance of further studies on the environmental behaviour of metalloids in specific hydrological conditions, such as river-lake junctions.
Spatiotemporal characteristics of arsenic and lead with seasonal freeze-thaw cycles in the source area of the Yellow River Tibet Plateau, China
2022, Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies
Citation Excerpt :
Weathering of As-containing Fe-S minerals would be an important source to As in the SAYR waters. As may be mobilized under certain conditions such as pH, redox and microbiological characteristics of the hydrogeochemical environment (Bhattacharya et al., 2014). In July, increased rainfall would accelerate the oxidation of sulfide minerals (zhang et al., 2021).
The source region of the Yellow River, China (SAYR)
This study focuses on demonstrating the impact of seasonal freeze-thaw process on the seasonally arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) concentration in the water bodies, such as river, lake, and spring. 113 surface water samples in April (freeze permafrost), 164 in July (active layer in permafrost thawed), and 86 soil samples at various depths in July were collected. Statistical correlation and principle analysis were applied to find the connection between tracer metals in water bodies and the various environmental factors. The percentage of soil particle size (5–50 µm), which can reflect the intensity of the freeze-thaw process in the permafrost soil, influenced the soil and water As and Pb trace metal concentrations differently in the permafrost area.
In April, the average As concentrations were 23.4 ± 16.7, 39.4 ± 32.6, 26.5 ± 24.4 μg/L, respectively in river, lake and spring water samples, and Pb concentrations were 34.9 ± 27.1, 47.4 ± 38 and 48.9 ± 33.4 μg/L. While the As concentrations in waters in July all decreased by 2 or 3 times compared with those in April, Pb concentrations slightly increased. Permafrost thawing enhanced the weathering of As and Pb, but the high As adsorption on fine soil particles, resulting from the seasonal freeze-thaw cycles, leaded to the significant decrease in the water As concentration in July, in addition to the rainfall dilution. The slight increase in Pb water concentration in July suggesting the effects of enhanced weathering and dilution were equally important. The higher As and Pb concentrations around the large Gyaring and Ngoring lakes than other SAYR area, shaping the spatial distribution of As and Pb, might be due to evaporative enrichment and the high phosphate content in the lakes. Results are helpful in assessing the ecological impact of trace metals in the permafrost area with climate change.
Mixing of arsenic-rich groundwater and surface water in drinking water distribution systems: Implications for contaminants, disinfection byproducts and organic components
2022, Chemosphere
The utilization of groundwaters containing high levels of arsenic (As) for drinking water purposes presents major health and economic challenges for water utilities. One low-cost approach is to mix arsenic-rich groundwater (GW) with arsenic-free surface waters (SW) to achieve acceptable As levels. In this study we investigated the effect of different mixing ratios on water quality in an eastern Croatian water distribution system (WDS). To investigate the effects of mixing on drinking water quality, we measured the organic matter (OM) composition, disinfection byproduct (DBP) and metal concentrations in differently mixed ratios of GW and SW within the WDS. Fluorescence analysis revealed that the GW and SW had similar OM composition, with an almost equal ratio of humic- and protein-like OM throughout the WDS despite fluorescence indices revealing slightly different OM sources between the two water types. The tyrosine-like OM component was more variable, increasing during warmer months and towards the end of the WDS, most likely due to enhanced biofilm formation. Arsenic concentrations decreased to below 10 μg/L in the second half of the sampling campaign. Acceptable water quality was achieved after a period of destabilization and solubilization of loose deposits within the WDS resulting in their mobilization caused by water quality changes. Principal component and classification analysis, regression models and Spearman correlation coefficients revealed an association between As, OM and DBP concentrations with these correlations suggestive of their role in As mobilization in the WDS. Changing source waters, with different OM content and characteristics, corresponded to variable As release within the WDS.
Characterization and role of derived dissolved organic matter on arsenic mobilization in alluvial aquifers of Punjab, Pakistan
2020, Chemosphere
Citation Excerpt :
As concentrations showed significantly positive correlation with humic-like fluorescence intensity (r2 = 0.79, p = 0.0001) and SUVA (r2 = 0.56, p = 0.0001) of DOM in the northern side of villages (Fig. 9a and b). These positive correlations between As and DOM indicate that humic part (aromatic) of DOM imparted a vital role in As release by microbially-assisted reduction of As from Fe/Mn mineral oxide surfaces (Guo et al., 2011; Anwar et al., 2013; Bhattacharya et al., 2014). Humic DOM can also influence As mobility by forming organo-metallic complexes or by competitive desorption of As (Huang et al., 2012; Mladenov et al., 2015) from hematite and goethite (2006; Zhu et al., 2015) to groundwater.
Biogeochemical mobilization of arsenic in groundwater depends on the presence of dissolved organic matter (DOM) that likely promotes the As release, i.e., reductive dissolution, complexation, competition, and electron shuttling. We investigated the role of DOM in As release, along with its complete characterization, in the Indus plain of Pakistan, one of the worst arsenic impacted zones in the South Asian region. In total, 60 groundwater and 15 soil samples, collected at six sites from north to south within the flood plain of the Ravi River, Lahore, Pakistan were investigated. Arsenic concentration ranged from 9.61 μg/L to 386 μg/L in the groundwater samples (high As observed in areas close to the river). Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in 29 groundwater samples ranged between 0 and 10.1 mg-C/L. A moderately positive correlation of As with DOC and Fe in the northern part of the study area suggest the reductive dissolution of FeOOH associated with dissolved organic matter (DOM). The reductive dissolution plays an essential role for As enrichment in the area evidenced by the lower concentrations of SO₄²⁻, NO₃⁻, and PO₃⁴⁻and a non-correlative pattern with As. In contrast, a positive correlation of As with PO₃⁴⁻, DOC, and HCO₃⁻ in the southern part indicate competitive desorption behind the As release. Fluorescence excitation-emission matrix intensity data of DOM indicate the maximum presence of humic-like substances in the northern part that gradually shifts to aromatic, fulvic and protein type towards the southern part. Specific ultraviolet absorbance and fluorescence index display aromatic and terrestrial (allochthonous) sources of DOM near the riverbank and mixed (both allochthonous and autochthonous) source away from the river. The positive correlations of As with DOC and fluorescence intensity also attest that DOM played a vital role in the As mobilization in groundwater of the study area.
Mechanisms of groundwater arsenic variations induced by extraction in the western Hetao Basin, Inner Mongolia, China
2020, Journal of Hydrology
Citation Excerpt :
High arsenic (As) groundwater has been found worldwide (Smedley and Kinniburgh, 2002; Harvey et al., 2002; Fendorf et al., 2010; Guo et al., 2014). Arsenic desorption and reductive dissolution of its host minerals (such as Fe oxides) have emerged as the leading mechanisms for the release of As into groundwater (Islam et al., 2004; Masue et al., 2007; Postma et al., 2012; Guo et al., 2013; Bhattacharya et al., 2014). Those processes depend on the quality and quantity of available organic matter (Polizzotto et al., 2008; Mladenov et al., 2009; Lawson et al., 2016; Eiche et al., 2017), local geomorphologic characteristics (Postma et al., 2016; Stahl et al., 2016), and anthropogenic activities (Harvey et al., 2002; Neumann et al., 2010; Radloff et al., 2011; Lawson et al., 2013; Desbarats et al., 2014; Schaefer et al., 2016, 2017; Knappett et al., 2016).
High arsenic (As) groundwater has posed a serious threat to human health. Due to the complex spatial-temporal distributions of dissolved As, the influence of groundwater extraction on As enrichment has attracted great attention. To ascertain spatial-temporal variations in dissolved As and driving mechanisms impacted by extraction, we monitored groundwater levels and chemicals in different aquifers in the western Hetao basin, China. Results revealed that groundwater levels decreased during irrigation season in both shallow (<40 m below land surface (bls)) and deep (>42 m bls) aquifers, and the decreases in deep aquifer were more evident. During irrigation, the estimated proportion of recharge from shallow groundwater to affected deep groundwater (around 45 m bls) increased from 21% to 53% in the distal of the alluvial fan and sharply from 53% to 86% in the flat plain. In the distal of the alluvial fan, the vertical recharge of shallow groundwater with low As concentrations (<10 μg/L) directly decreased dissolved As concentrations in deep groundwater, and the introduced oxygen-containing groundwater promoted As fixation. In the flat plain, As concentrations of affected deep groundwater increased by around 80% during irrigation, which may result from the direct introduction of dissolved As, labile organic matter and high Na/Ca^0.5 molar ratio from shallow groundwater. The latter two promoted As release by enhanced dissimilatory reduction of Fe oxyhydroxides and As desorption, respectively. The two-year monitoring data of conservative tracers and dissolved As concentrations in irrigation wells also validated the hypothesis. This study highlights the different variation patterns of deep groundwater As concentration impacted by extraction in different hydrogeological units, and provides an insight into mechanisms of As variations impacted by anthropogenic activity.
Assessing the most sensitive and reliable endpoints in plant growth tests to improve arsenic risk assessment
2020, Science of the Total Environment
Arsenic (As) is toxic to humans and the environment. Its toxicity has been assessed in many ways, including plant growth tests integrated in As risk assessments (RA). The tiered approach used in RA schemes assumes that lower tiers are more conservative than higher tiers. Plant growth tests may comprise lower tier of a RA and include the measurement of several endpoints. However, only few of these endpoints are highly sensitive and reliable, which makes them more appropriate to comprise lower tiers. Therefore, the selection of those endpoints is needed. The present study aimed to evaluate the most appropriate endpoints of plant growth tests to use in lower tier As RA schemes. This selection of endpoints was based on their sensitivity and reliability, using different tropical soils and plant species. In order to achieve this objective, six plant species were exposed to eight levels of As contamination (0; 8; 14.5; 26; 46.5; 84; 150; 270 mg kg⁻¹), in three different tropical soils (Oxisol, Inceptisol, and tropical artificial soil). The endpoints measured were: first germination count (FrC), plant height (PH), relative leaf area (RLA), stem diameter (SD), total germination (TG), germination speed index (GSI), dry mass (DM), number of completely expanded leaves (CEL), plant survival (PS), soil plant analysis development chlorophyll level (SPAD), and the final germination count (FnC). Toxic values for 50% of effect were estimated for each endpoint within each species and test soil, to rank them according to their sensitivity and reliability. The most sensitive endpoints were: FrC, RLA, DM, GSI, PH, and FnC, while the most reliable endpoints were: FrC, DM, GSI, DM, PH, FnC, and TG. Our findings suggest that FrC, DM, GSI, PH, and FnC are the most adequate endpoints to be used in plant growth tests as lower tiers of As RA in tropical regions.

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EditorialArsenic in hydrological processes—Sources, speciation, bioavailability and management

Introduction

Section snippets

Layout of the special issue

Conclusion

Acknowledgements

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Editorial
Arsenic in hydrological processes—Sources, speciation, bioavailability and management